Maara

Author's note: I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter of Makara. If you haven't already, please make sure you read the previous chapters so you know what's going on.

Also, it would be greatly appreciated if you took a moment to comment and vote. A huge thanks to those who do/have.

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Part 5

~Makara

"Find you? What does that mean? Are you lost?" My fingers flew over the screen as I texted my response.

"We're working on your tracking."

"My tracking? That's usually focused around following scent trails."

"Yep."

"How am I supposed to do that when I'm not shifted? I can only smell things marginally better than the average human, definitely not enough to track you."

"So don't use your nose. I left you a clue, figure it out."

A disgruntled grumble escaped me as I read his last message. How did he expect me to find him without anything to go on? Thinking back over his messages, I tried to figure out what his apparent clue could be.

Over the last two weeks, training had basically gone back to normal. Cade had taken me back to the cliff a few mornings, each time pushing me to climb a little bit faster. When we didn't go to the cliff, we were sparring, both in the training room in the basement, and a few times, the outdoor courtyard.

He often challenged me, and he had long since left behind any reservations for me getting hurt. But he had never asked me to do something that I was outright unequipped for.

Taking a cursory glance around the suite, I searched for any indication of Cade's clue. It was unlikely he had left anything in here, so I quickly gave it up as futile. Not believing I had any other options, I decided to check Cade's suite.

When the elevator didn't open right away, I opted for taking the stairs. It was only one floor down, the stairs were probably faster anyway. Rapping on the painted wood of his door, I admonished myself for being so stupid. It wouldn't be a challenge if he were in his suite the whole time.

The handle turned under my pressure, surprising me as it clicked open. Peeking in, I saw the room was empty, as expected. My curiosity distracted me momentarily, having never been in Cade's suite before. It was the same basic style and size as Bash and Tal's.

An urge to snoop through his drawers and cabinets crept in on me and I fought it off, resolving to only snoop as much as I needed to find his clue. My attention brought back to the task at hand, I inspected the room for anything that seemed out of place.

Sighing, I raised my hands in frustration. Everything seemed to belong. No picture, no lamp, no cushion offered any indication of answers. Just as I was about to give up, something caught my eye. Turning, my gaze focused on the small wolf figurine carved into black soapstone that sat inconspicuously, blending in almost perfectly to the dark color of the, otherwise completely bare, coffee table.

A memory of Cade telling Tal he planned to put the little wolf on his night stand flashed through my mind and I rushed over, kneeling beside the table, grasping excitedly at the smooth stone. It didn't belong here. Inspecting it closely, I looked for any hint of where Cade could be. There was nothing different about the figurine, no note attached to the bottom. A quick search around and underneath the table revealed similar results, nothing helpful.

"What the hell kind of clue is that, Cade?" My frustration caused me to spit the words into the air.

Sitting back on my haunches I tried to decipher the mystery in front of me. My mind was almost completely blank and having only one idea left, I decided to take a shot at it, not sure what else to do.

The door closed with a familiar click behind me. Taking the stairs down another floor I quickly found the suite I was looking for, tapping lightly on the door. It swung open right away.

"Makara!" Tal stepped out to hug me.

Stepping back, I could see she looked excited, but she bit her lip to keep from speaking.

"This is going to sound strange," she watched me as I shifted my feet. "But Cade set up this weird training thing and I think I'm supposed to talk to y-"

"I knew you would figure it out!" She squealed, squeezing her hands together before grabbing my arm and pulling me into her suite.

A small smile crept over my face as I realized I had come to the right place. The clue in Cade's suite was meant to lead me to Tal.

"Cade swore me to secrecy! I wasn't allowed to say anything until you asked me directly!" She explained, dashing off to a shelf on the far side of the room. "Here's the next clue." She handed me two slips of paper. "But don't ask for any hints, because I'm not allowed to say."

My mouth opened to speak, but she cut me off.

"Shoo, shoo, he's timing you. Off you go." She hurried me out the door. "Good luck, Makara," She said as she closed it behind me.

Shaking my head, I smiled at Tal's youthful enthusiasm. Of course Cade wouldn't make it so easy that Tal would be the last stop, ideally telling me where to find him.

Opening the first slip of paper, I stared excitedly at the golden letters and numbers that looked back at me, knowing exactly where this clue was leading me.

Running back up the stairs to Silas' suite, I didn't waste any time barging into the library.

"B-24, P32." My fingers ran over the smooth wood of the shelves as I hurried to row B. It was a pretty easy system to follow, A referring to the first row, B to the second and so on. Quickly moving down the row, I read the numbers on the spine of each book, pulling out number 24 and flipped to the page specified on the paper.

"A map of the forest, now we're talking." My muttered words disappeared into the silence of the room as I looked at the map, finally feeling a little closer to finding Cade.

The second slip offered a similar code, and I suspected it would help narrow down my search. Clutching the first book, I moved to find row F, not immediately noticing that E was the last one.

"Shit." Re-examining the clue, I noticed a faint letter 'M' in the top corner of the slip, almost as if someone had written it in pencil and then erased it. Looking over the first slip I found it also had a letter, the letter 'S'.

It clicked immediately and I raced down to the first floor. Cade had never gotten around to showing me the main library, nor had I had the opportunity to visit it myself, but it wasn't hard to locate the big double doors. Pushing through the doors, I forced myself not to stare in awe at the sheer number of books presented before me, remembering Tal had said Cade was timing me.

Finding my way to row E, I hurried along, pulling out the book corresponding with the clue and turned to the specified page. The image of the Lechenaria appeared in stark contrast to the white background of the page.

Making the connection, I searched the map for where the Lechenaria patch had been, grumbling when I couldn't find it. The publication date of the book containing the map made it obvious why. It had only been published eight years ago, and according to Cade, the Lechenaria had been extinct for twenty.

Tucking the book with the flower back on the shelf, I took the map with me in search of someone who could help. Henry was in his usual spot, peering over the top of his book and watching the passersby from his chair around the corner from the lobby. He smiled as I walked up to him.

"Makara," he greeted me. "Lovely to see you again. How can I help you?"

"Hi, Henry." Showing him the map, I plopped into the chair next to him. "Cade's got me doing this training thing and I need to find him using clues he left me. I remembered you said you picked your Lechenaria yourself and I was hoping you could tell me where the patch used to be. I have reason to believe that's where I'll find him."

"Of course, of course." He took the book from me, launching into a story about the day he had picked the flower and the care in which he had selected the perfect one. Smiling, I refrained from prompting him to go faster. He was just an old man who enjoyed the company and he was helping me, so I let him speak. "Look at you, listening to the ramblings of an old man." He chuckled, patting my hand lightly. "You don't have time for my silly stories." Opening my mouth to reassure him that I loved his stories, he cut me off, pointing to an area on the map at the edge of a clearing. "This is where they used to grow, beautifully framing this field. It made it perfect for picnic dates with someone special." He handed me back the book and winked at me, making me blush.

"Thanks, Henry. I really appreciate the help. Again." Scurrying out the door, I didn't bother to bring the book back to the library. Opting instead to save some time and bring it with me.

The trees blurred as I ran by them, only pausing to check the map to make sure I was still going in the right direction. When I noticed the clearing up ahead I slowed down, not sure if I would find another clue, or Cade. Trying to walk as quietly as possible, I scanned the area for any sign of him.

Hearing something behind me, I started to turn. Not quick enough to beat him, Cade hooked his leg around mine, knocking me to the ground. Twisting to land on my back, I clutched the book to my chest, hoping to protect its clean pages from the dirt. Pain momentarily seared through my back and head as I didn't quite manage to avoid hitting it against the ground.

"Took you long enough." Cade spoke, ignoring the fact that he had just hit me from behind. Knowing it wouldn't do any good to mention it, since according to him it's my job to guard against such surprises, I let it go.

"What are you talking about? I found you pretty quickly considering how you sprung this on me."

"If you say so." He extended a hand, but I waved him away.

Getting up, I followed him as he walked into the clearing. It looked significantly smaller than it did on the map, and although Henry had implied it had once been a beautiful field, there was now nothing but dirt covering the ground. It looked more like a fighting ring than the perfect picnic location.

"How exactly does all that improve my tracking anyway? If I'm trying to find someone, it's not like they'll leave a trail like that."

"There's always a trail. It's just a matter of whether or not you're able to find it. Sometimes it's easier, sometimes, nearly impossible, but you've got to start somewhere. Ready?"

"Ready for what?" His question caught me off guard. He looked at me, silently answering my question. "You want to spar?"

"Well you found me so quickly, right? That hardly constitutes a workout." The slightest hint of a smile tugged at his lips as I looked at him, a gesture he rarely graced me with.

"Fine." Still holding the book in my hands, I looked around for a safe place to set it, biting at my lip when I couldn't find one. An idea crossed my mind and I spoke before I had a chance to dismiss it.

"Take off your shirt."

"What?" Cade looked back at me, completely surprised and confused.

"I need somewhere to put the book."

"Put it on the ground."

"There's no grass, it'll get dirty if I put it on the ground."

"So it's okay for my shirt to get dirty?"

"You can wash your shirt. We can't exactly wash the book."

"You're the one who brought it out here, take off your own shirt."

"I can't, the bra's built in. If I take off my shirt, the bra comes off with it."

"And that's my problem?" He watched me defiantly.

Glaring at him, I tried to measure his sincerity. Not willing to damage the book, I tucked it between my legs and grabbed the hem of my shirt, weighing the options. Either he was bluffing, and would stop me before I got too far, or I was about to pull my shirt off, leaving my chest bare to Cade's eyes.

"Alright then." Taking the gamble, I confidently lifted my shirt.

"Wait!" He stopped me when I had made it most of the way up my midriff.

Dropping my shirt, I attempted to hide my triumphant smirk and watched as he tugged his shirt over his head.

"Thank you." While it hadn't been my intention to spar with a shirtless Cade, being truly concerned about the condition of the book, I certainly wasn't complaining about the view. Distracted by the way his muscles flexed with his movements, I shrieked when he tossed the balled fabric at me.

"Hey!" His scent flooded my nostrils as the shirt blocked my vision, covering my face completely. My hair crackled with static as I ripped the obstruction away and I brought my hand up to flatten the unruly strands. This time, he did smile. Although, I nearly missed it for the pull his chest seemed to have on my gaze.

Laying the shirt on the ground off to the side of the clearing, I placed the book on the soft surface and folded the shirt over, protecting it from the dust I knew we would kick up.

The next few hours passed quickly. Cade had been right, pain was a better teacher than fear. He still, nearly always, got me on the ground, or in some submissive position, but I was definitely improving. It took him longer each time and I managed to evade or block a lot of his attacks. Not usually completely, but enough to make them glancing blows.

Grunting with each contact, I unleashed strike after strike at Cade, getting increasingly frustrated as he easily blocked each one. Every opening I thought I saw drew me in, tempting me to aim at the presented weak spot, only to have my hopes dashed when Cade swatted away my fists like flies.

Having enough of my futile onslaught, Cade slammed the heel of his hand into my shoulder, starting my body in a lopsided turn. Instantly, my other hand flew up to try and regain some stability and Cade grabbed my wrist, controlling the spin his attack had sent me on, forcing my back to him. Wrapping his other arm around my shoulders, he sought to immobilize me. Forcing myself to concentrate on a way out of this position, and not the hard, nearly naked body pressed against my back, I jabbed my elbow, that he had surprisingly left unrestrained, into his ribs, making him groan and loosen his arm.

Immediately following the impact, I yanked my wrist out if his grasp, aiming to get in another shot to the likely sore rib. Turning towards him as best I could, my body still held tightly against his, I focused the extra momentum into my strike.

Seeing my intention Cade stepped forward, his strong arms stopping me from making the necessary movements to regain my balance; I could do nothing but cling to him as I fell to the ground.

He didn't seem to care that his actions caused him to tumble as well. With one knee between my legs and his weight on top of me, he managed to pin both my hands between us, held tightly with one of his own, bracing himself with the other beside my head.

Laying on the ground looking up at him, I fought to catch my breath, feeling a familiar pulse run through my core as his gaze bore back into mine. His nose twitched in recognition, but he didn't say anything, and he didn't move. It seemed as though he was taking longer than he strictly needed to lift himself off me. It had seemed like that a lot lately.

Sure that I was imagining things, I usually brushed the thought away, but now it was pretty clear that it wasn't just in my head. It occurred to me that, while I wanted to win a sparring match one of these days, I rather enjoyed being so close to Cade, helpless to whatever whim he decided to act on. Not that he had acted on any, if he had them at all. Losing to Cade didn't bother me one bit, so long as we continued to end up in similar positions, with his body pressed against mine.

Silently scolding myself, I tried to stamp out the dangerous thought. Cade was supposed to be the safe subject of my fantasies, the one I didn't have to worry about spilling into real life. My mate was still out there somewhere, and I planned to find him as soon as I met my wolf. No good would come out of falling for Cade and I would just be making things more difficult for myself, adding another person to my list of temptations.

"We need to work on your offense." Cade's words snapped me out of my head, drawing my attention back to reality. "Don't let yourself get so caught up in your attack, that you miss your opponent's."

Nodding my understanding, I once again walked a line between relief and disappointment as he released my hands, the muscles in his shoulders rippling when he pushed himself off the ground.

Accepting his extended hand, I let him help me up and set to work brushing the dust from my clothes and hair.

"Do you know why you weren't able to hit me?" He asked. Looking at him questioningly, I waited for him to tell me. "Your attacks are predictable. It was always left, right, left, right, and always aimed at my chest, diagonal from whatever fist you were using."

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"You didn't land a single punch."

"Well, no, but I did land that elbow jab, and I made you lose your grip on my shoulders. That's still pretty good." He shrugged dismissively. "Come on, Cade, you have to admit that I'm improving."

"I don't think I do."

"You don't think I'm getting better?" The question came out as more of an accusation as I got defensive. He shrugged again. "Alright, I'll prove it. I'll make you a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"If I can knock you down, demonstrating what should be my obvious improvement, you have to take me somewhere."

"I take you lots of places."

"No. Not somewhere to spar, or climb. Somewhere fun."

"Like a date?" He asked in a tone of voice I couldn't identify.

"Sure." My stomach leapt and my mouth formed the word before I truly comprehended what he had asked. "Whatever. I don't care what you call it. Just somewhere I've never been, that has nothing to do with training."

"And if you can't do it?"

"Then you're right and I'm still as terrible as I ever was." Watching him debate the options, I hoped his ego would force him to take the bet, if only for a chance to say 'I told you so'.

"Fine," He said confidently after what felt like a lifetime of waiting.

He quickly settled into his stance and I eagerly mirrored him, taking a deep breath to prepare myself, my thoughts now clear and controlled.

My heart pounded as I waited for him to make the first move. He ran towards me, and I sunk into a slight crouch, implying that I was bracing for the impact. As soon as he got close enough for me to touch, I side stepped him. My movement wasn't fast enough to avoid him completely, but just fast enough to drop my hand, putting me in the perfect position to grab a fist full of the fabric of his pants and what I hoped was the soft flesh of his hidden cock.

He balked as I gripped him, trying to pull out of his attack. For stability, my other arm wrapped around his back and he tensed as I closed my fist, squeezing gently. Not hard enough to do any damage, but enough to notice.

It happened so quickly that he wasn't able to stop his momentum all together, and I pushed my body weight into him, using the combined force to send him to the ground. Making sure he wasn't able to contort himself and miraculously land back on his feet, I flung myself down with him, straddling him as he lay stunned on his back, my fist still wrapped around him.

Waiting for him to speak, I released my grip and pulled my hand away, but didn't get up, wanting the fact that I had succeeded to sink in before I did. My breath grew heavy and my body heated as I felt him pulse between my legs, slowly growing as his cock clearly preferred the change in contact between us. It hadn't been my intention, but there was a new reason I didn't want to move now.

With his eyes closed, he slowly panted, taking deep breaths through his nose and I thought I felt him just barely buck his hips into me, quickly convincing myself of the contrary.